Fireman&#39;s protector



1935- F. J. m JAVANNES MWJW FIREMANS PROTECTOR Filed Jan. 24, 1955 )5 INVENTOR Francs J ole Javannes Patented Oct. 1, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFIE 3 Claims.

My present invention relates to safety devices, and more particularly to an improved fire fighting device for firemen and the like.

It is well known that in fighting fires it is .essential that the firemen get in close to the fire, if the fire is to be fought successfully. In order to attain such an advantageous position it is necessary for the fireman in a great many instances to move actually into the outskirts of the blaze, with the result that a great many firemen are in- ;jured and even killed by the inhaling of flames. Various expedients have been suggested for enabling firemen to reach a position with respect to a fire where they will be able to fight the fire to the best advantage, and. yet which will prevent accidents happening to the firemen because of their proximity to the flame. As far as I am aware, none of these various expedients have been successful.

In my present invention I have designed a type of safety device for firemen and the like, which may be readily and comfortably worn by a fireman in the discharge of his duty, and which will not hamper his movements in the least, and further which when equipped to discharge a gas in accordance with my invention, will practically surround the fireman with an envelope of not only a non-inflammable gas but a gas which will not support combustion and will in itself aid in extinguishing the fire.

My device is preferably in the form of a poncho and in which the material is hollow and flexible, and preferably made of a flexible, resilient material, such as rubber, and the surface of which is provided with a plurality of perforations extending into the interior of the hollow member. Further I provide means for connecting the interior to a source of supply of non-flammable, non-combustion supporting gas, such for example as the usual and ordinary commercial CO2. My improved device is so arranged, that although the gas employed is heavier than ordinary air and therefore sinks downwardly, the shoulder portions of my poncho-shaped member are provided with perforations through which necessarily the gas under pressure is forced upwardly and thus practically surrounding the major portion of the head of the wearer with an envelope of non-combustion supporting gas, but which however, will not prevent normal respiration of the person wearing the device. This is essential, as of course a heavy firefighting gas will not only not support combustion but also will not support respiration.

My device has the further advantage that in case of accident the poncho-shaped element may be utilized as an emergency cot or stretcher.

In the accompanying drawing,

Fig. l is a perspective View of my improved device shown in position for wear on the figure of a fireman.

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional side elevation of my improved device and Fig. 3 is a developed plan view of the device.

Referring to the drawing, and particularly to Figs. 2 and 3, there is shown a device comprised of a front or top plate It) and a rear or bottom plate I I of flexible, resilient material, such for example as rubber. Such members I I3 and ii are substantially rectangular in shape, as shown in Fig. 3, and are connected together along their peripheral edges to thereby form a double faced hollow rectangular poncho-shaped member.

' At one end of the members I!) and I5 there is formed, and preferably of the material of the members I0 and II, an inlet nozzle I2 and at the other end there is formed a corresponding inlet nozzle I3.

Substantially midway along the length of the members I0 and II is formed an oval opening It made by cutting away the material of the members Ill and I I and the peripheral edges of the opening just formed are joined together as shown in Fig. 2 to maintain the space between the members II) and i! in substantial air-tight condition. iPerforations I5 are formed in either or both of the outer or inner rectangular members i I.

The resulting structure above described, and illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3, being of flexible, re- -silient material, the same may be placed in wearing position on a fireman I6, for example, by having such fireman insert his head through the opening I4. When thus placed in position on the fireman, the ends of the rectangular members I!) and I I hang downwardly, one end in front of 4,0 the fireman and the other end in the rear. The width of the members if! and I9 is such that the combined widths of the two ends of the members I0 and I I is but slightly less than the waist measurement of the fireman so that the fireman is practically enclosed in the device.

The space between the members I0 and I I may be supplied with an inert gas, such for example as carbon dioxide, fro-m a tank Il which may be carried by an attendant, or from a source of supply mounted on the pumping engine, from which also leads the fire hose E8. The conduit or pipe through which the carbon dioxide gas is fed from the above referred to pumping engine passes through the pipe I9 and through a pressure regulating valve 20 into and through the nozzles l2 and I3. The pressure regulating valves 20 in the illustration of the device as shown are formed integral with a Y, one leg 22 of which is connected to the nozzle I2 by clamp 23 and the other leg 24 of which is connected to one end of a pipe 25, the other end of this pipe being supplied with a nipple 26 which is connected to the nozzle l3 by the clamp 2i.

With the device constructed as above described, and worn in the position illustrated in Fig. 1, and assuming the device is ready for use and the fireman in position where the same is required, the fireman by manipulating the pressure-regulating valves it, allows air to. flow through the pressure-regulating valves 20 into the space between the rectangular members in and IE, and the gas, after reaching a certain pressure will fiow out of the perforations l5 into the atmosphere. The CO2 or similar gas being heavier than the air will have a tendency to sink gradually and thus aid in extinguishing any flame which may be in the immediate vicinity thereof. Also because of the fact that the gas is under pressure the same will flow through those perforations I5 on the shoulder portions of the device as shown in Fig. l and will be projected upwardly above the head of the fireman Hi. The result is that the fireman is enveloped in a shield of CO2 and is thus protected from danger of burning or the like. The tank I? may be carried by an attendant or may be of small enough size to be strapped on the back or shoulders of the fireman himself.

What I claim is:

1. In a device of the kind described, the combination of a hollow garment, substantially rectangular in form and provided with a centrally located transversely extending orifice through which may be passed the head of the wearer in the surface of the garment, a plurality of perforations in one, face of the garment communicating with the interior of the garment, means for supplying an inert gas under pressure to the interior of the garment for egress through the perforations, and means for regulating the pressure of the inert gas.

2. In a device of the kind described the combination of a hollow, substantially rectangular and elongated member comprised of front and back plates of flexible, resilient material secured together about the peripheral edges thereof, inlet passages at opposite ends of the member, perforations through the members extending into the space between said members, and means for supplying an inert gas under pressure to the interior of the device and for egress through the perforations.

3. In a device of the kind described, the combination of a hollow garment substantially rectangular in form, an orifice centrally located with respect to the surface dimensions of the garment and extending transversely therethrough and through which may be passed the head of the wearer to position the garment to shield the front and back of the wearer, a plurality of perforations in the outer exposed face of the garment, when the same is in position on the wearer, said perforations communicating with the interior of the garment, and means for supplying inert gas to each end of the hollow garment simultaneously for egress through the perforations.

FRANCIS J. DE JAVANNES. 

